This invention relates to a protective garment which may be in the form of an undergarment or outerwear, and more particularly to a garment which includes a body conforming, lower torso portion for preventing leakage of body waste liquids. The garment may be a close fitting secondary garment to be worn over existing feminine protective means, and may be in the form of panties, briefs and underwear. Alternatively, rather than being in the form of an undergarment, the garment may be in the form of outerwear, such as swim wear or wear for other activities.
There are on the market numerous products designed for collecting and maintaining menstrual flow, and such products are designed for use with different magnitudes of flow. Leakages, which can cause embarrassing markings and/or troublesome cleanups, are still frequent occurrences. Moreover, there are periods of time when there is uncertainty as to whether light flow, not only menstrual flow when pads or tampon type products are not being worn, but discharge due to incontinence, or other causes, may occur.
An example of a bulkier form of product, provided for moisture management, as shown in EPO 0 627,177 A1, published 07.12.94, Moretz et al., is in the form of a suspended panel which includes a plurality of fabric layers, including at least a skin contacting layer, an intermediate fabric layer and an outer fabric layer. The panel is made to be used in addition to a garment which carries the panel.
In EPO 0327 823 A1, published 18.08.89, Darlington Fabrics Corporation, there is shown a simpler form of garment, but its structure differs from that of the present invention. In the structure of the product disclosed therein, an inner lamina of the lamination being used is a film which is breathable and liquid impermeable and an outer layer which is simply described as being a breathable fiber, typically knitted, which forms the body portion of the garment. Unlike the present invention, wherein the inner fabric lamina of the lamination forming the crotch area is liquid permeable, not water-resistant, and the outer lamina is liquid impermeable but breathable, the fluids gather on the inside of the inner lamina of the garment of this surface in the Darlington device. This has a disadvantage in that the collected fluids are subject to smearing and may produce a clammy feeling.
Yet other types of underwear has been proposed, such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,867, Oct. 20, 1992, Norvell. While utilizing layers of materials having different character, the garment of this reference is not designed to prevent the egress of body fluids from the wearer while maintaining the fluids within the garment in a state which does not provide discomfort to the wearer as in the present invention. Rather the Norvell design, which includes at least three layers, where two of the layers form a composite layer, provides protection to the wearer from contact with an external source of a fluid such as blood and other body fluids.
There is, therefore, a need for a protective garment which is capable of preventing leakage for body fluid flows which are not necessarily of great quantity and which can be worn either in combination with existing protective products or alone, and which is of a character providing comfort while not being conspicuous.
Basically, the present invention resides in a protective garment which includes a body conforming, lower torso portion for preventing leakage of body waste liquids, the lower torso portion being defined by sheet material and including a crotch portion disposed between a pair of leg openings. According to the present invention, the sheet material in at least the crotch area is a lamination consisting of only two laminae, a first of the two laminae being liquid permeable fabric, and a second of the laminae being liquid impermeable and vapour permeable material, at least one of the first and second laminae forming the lower torso portion above the crotch as well. The first lamina is an inner lamina fully occupying at least the crotch area for allowing passage of the liquids into the inner lamina. The second lamina is an outer lamina fully occupying at least the crotch area and being juxtaposed the inner lamina in the crotch area for preventing strike through to the exterior of the garment of the liquids from the inner lamina while allowing escape of vapour from the inner lamina.